Truth
by licensedtobuild
Summary: Challenge from DetectiveBen. Beckett's dad dies in a car crash and Beckett and Castle try to figure out why. T for F-Bombs. Note: Montgomery is still alive... I couldn't bring myself to keep him dead.
1. Chapter 1

Kate woke up that morning feeling like it would not be a particularly good day. Her alarm clock was flashing 5:47 in bright red numbers, and Kate could see the sun peeking through her window. She heaved herself out of bed, bare feet touching the soft carpet. She'd have to wake up at six anyway, so she decided that there was no point in going back to sleep. It was coffee time.

Since she and Josh had broken up, it felt almost like a relief to wake up in an empty and silent apartment. It was the only place Kate considered her own, her safe space. Her apartment was her quiet place where she could gather her thoughts and relax. She took a long sip for her freshly filled NYPD mug, savoring the bitter taste and the silence of her apartment, until her cellphone beeped loudly, jarring her from her peace and quiet.

"Beckett," she answered hoarsely, her voice still coated in sleep.

"It's Ryan." Kate sighed. _I haven't even finished my coffee yet. _"We got a body. 6th and Downing." _Only a few blocks away._

"Give me twenty minutes." As soon as Ryan hung up, Kate dialed Castle's number, hesitating for a minute before calling him. It was early, but she knew he would want in on her case.

"Detective Beckett." He had clearly been asleep. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"How quickly can you get to 6th and Downing?"

"Give me half an hour." Kate hung up and exhaled. _Dead body and it's barely six o'clock. It's gonna be a long day._

X

Kate stepped out of the car to nearly blinding sunlight. 6th and Downing was a chaotic intersection and she could see a crowd surrounding the yellow tape barricade. Castle had beaten her to the intersection despite the fact that he lived much further away, and was waiting with two coffees in hand. She took one of them and he immediately started jabbering away.

"Dead body on Downing Street… I'm trying to think of a joke, but it's not quite coming." Kate rolled her eyes at him. A car was crumpled against a telephone pole, and Kate could see police officers examining the car carefully. She and Castle started towards the car, until Lanie came running towards them. Kate's heart immediately dropped to the sidewalk and she stopped.

"Kate, don't," Lanie pleaded.

"Why?"

"You don't need to see him."

"Lanie?"

"Kate, just trust me." Kate stared into Lanie's sad eyes.

"Lanie, I'm a cop. I can handle a dead body." Lanie grabbed Kate's shoulder.

"Kate, don't –" Kate shrugged the hand off and walked towards the body. The officers let her under the tape as she flashed her badge, but she walked to the driver's side window to examine the man lying bloodied in the car. She heard footsteps and Castle caught up to her. Kate squinted, trying to examine the man's injuries.

"We got an ID?" she asked to whoever was around her. The man was in his mid-sixties, and in pretty good shape. There was probably someone missing him.

"Sure, Lanie pulled his wallet," one of the surrounding officers said. "His name's… Jim Beckett." Kate's heart plummeted.

"Let me see that," she snapped at the officer, swiping the license from his hand and turning it over. To her horror, the face staring up at her was one she knew far too well. She backed away from the crime scene, coming to rest on the nearby wall and she fell back against it. Tears were burning her eyes, but she held them back, trying to keep up her tough cop exterior. Her chest was heaving and she could feel herself gasping for breath. Castle was by her side immediately.

"Kate?" he said cautiously. Without a word, Kate handed him the license. He flipped the license up and nearly dropped it in surprise. "Oh, Kate. I'm –"

"Don't," she snapped. "Don't even… start…" She was gasping for air. "Don't… tell me… how sorry… you are." The tears were oozing down her cheeks, and she tried to rub them away. "He's… my… dad… and he's… he's…" She broke down completely, sobs shaking her thin body and echoing through the still air. Without thinking, Castle took her in his arms and squeezed her as tightly as he could. He pressed her head to his shoulder and stroked her hair repeatedly as she sobbed, not knowing what else to do or say. The only sound coming from the duo was Kate's guttaral cries of pure unfiltered pain. Lanie walked over and put a hand on Castle's shoulder.

"I got it, Rick," she whispered. Wordlessly, Castle unwrapped himself from Kate and guided her to the medical examiner. Kate crumpled against Lanie's scrubs and Lanie grabbed her tightly.

"Hey, Beckett. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere." Lanie jerked her head to the side, gesturing for Castle to make himself scarce. He turned and walked back to the crime scene, where Ryan and Esposito were examining the car.

"Hey!" he shouted angrily.

"Chill, Castle," Esposito said. "What's up?"

"What the hell? Why'd you call Beckett?"  
>"Dude, she's the best detective in the 12th," Ryan answered.<p>

"You called her to investigate her father's death!" Castle screamed, and Esposito dropped his notebook in shock.

"What?" Ryan turned a bright shade of red. "I called her to her dad's crime scene?" Castle nodded. "Shit." Esposito whacked him on the shoulder. "Where is she?"

"Don't bother," Castle responded. "Lanie's got her. The only thing we can do to help her is figure out who did this." The two detectives nodded and returned to examining every square inch of the car.

X 

After about ten minutes, Kate slumped to the ground, her chest still heaving. She had stopped crying, but hadn't said a word. Lanie sat down next to her.

"Kate, honey –" Kate held up a hand, cutting off the M.E.

"Don't," she whispered hoarsely. "Just… he's dead." Lanie nodded, and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I know, honey."

"I'm… I'm all alone."

"Oh, honey," Lanie murmured. "You are not _ever_ alone. You have me, and the boys, and Castle. You are never alone." She ran a hand through the detective's hair. "I love you, Kate, and I will always be there for you. Anything you need." Kate twisted and looked at Lanie through teary eyes.

"I need you to find out why my dad was in a car accident." Lanie nodded, and Kate stood, rubbing a hand across her cheeks. "I can't be here." Before Lanie could say a word, Kate turned and walked back to her car. Unfortunately, or fortunately as the case may have been, Castle was waiting for her. "What do you want, Castle?"

"I want to do whatever you need me to do," the writer answered, his hands extended in a gesture of friendliness.

"Castle, I need you to leave me the fuck alone."

"Kate –"

"I need you to move out of my way and let me go home." Castle stepped aside and Kate quickly opened the door, stepped in it and drove away.

X

An hour later, Kate was dressed in sweats and running on her treadmill. It was jacked up as fast as it would go and she was completely winded, but the pain in her legs was covering up the pain that had drilled its way into her soul. She kept herself focused on the rhythmic thumping of her feet on the belt, until her doorbell rang. With a groan she turned the treadmill off, and jumped off to the floor. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and went over to the door, pressing her eye to the peephole. A groan escaped her lips when she saw who was standing there.

"Castle, piss off." The writer didn't move, instead staring directly at the porthole with his hands behind his back. "Castle, go home!"

"No," he said back, bring his hands forward. Kate felt tears in her eyes at the sight of the small bouquet of flowers in his hand, and despite herself, she unlocked the door and opened it. He immediately let himself in, and squeezed her into a hug. Though shocked for a second, Kate felt herself relaxing into his grip. "How are you?" She didn't even answer, instead wrapping her arms around him and gripping the back of his shirt tightly. "It's okay," he whispered, stroking her back gently. "I'm not leaving." Despite herself, she broke down in his arms and sobbed into his chest. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm s-scared, Castle."

"I know, Kate. I know."

"I'm alone."

"You and I both know that's bullshit. I've been following you around for four years now, so you have to know that you at least have me around to pull your pigtails." Kate looked up at him through tears, and Castle gently rubbed his thumb across her cheek. "I'm here for you, always. I will do anything that you need, even nothing, if that's what you want."

"A hug will work for now," she said, and Castle immediately pulled her into him.

"Hugs I can handle."


	2. Chapter 2

Castle cautiously scooted out from under Kate's torso, and carefully positioned her on the couch. Silently, he grabbed a blanket from the chair, and carefully tucked it around the sleeping detective. He pressed a gentle kiss to her temple before walking into Kate's kitchen. After pouring himself and Kate a glass of water, which he placed on the coffee table for when she woke up, he decided to give Lanie a call to see what she had discovered.

"Castle, how is she?"

"She fell asleep about ten minutes ago," he answered. "You find anything about her dad?" He heard Lanie sigh into the phone.

"Yeah. He was drunk when he died." Castle's mouth fell open.

"Drunk? He was sober for nine years. You're telling me…"

"He fell off the wagon, Castle." Castle rubbed his thumb and forefinger across the bridge of his nose. "Castle, bring her to the morgue when she wakes up."

"Of course. Thanks for telling me, Lanie." He sighed and hung up before walking back to the sleeping detective. "Oh, Kate," he whispered, and brushed back her hair gently. Her eyes slowly blinked open and she focused on him.

"Castle? Where am I?"

"Your apartment," he answered. "Lanie wants you to come to the morgue, when you're ready." She didn't move. "Do you want something to eat?"

"No, Castle. Can we go to the morgue? I need answers."

"Sure, Kate." Castle offered her a jacket from the coat hook, which she put on, and he escorted her down to the sidewalk where his car was parked. They drove together in silence, not sure what to say to each other. Kate was staring out the window, watching the skyscrapers fly by. The tears had dried by then, and Kate was left with a burning feeling in her heart. She was still unable to believe that her father, the man who had protected her for her entire life, was dead. He couldn't be dead. Lanie'll explain that it would not be her dad. It's some other sixty-year-old man named Jim Beckett. It couldn't be her dad.

"Kate?" She jerked away from the window and looked at the writer. "We're here." She didn't say anything, but she got out of the car quickly and walked into the morgue where Lanie was waiting for her.

"Hey, Becks." The medical examiner hugged the detective gently. "How you feeling?" Kate sniffled once.

"I'm fine. What've you got?"

"Kate –"

"Lanie, I need to find out what happened. I just need answers." Lanie nodded and led her over to the table where Jim Beckett's body lay covered in a sheet.

"He didn't suffer, Kate. He died on impact." Kate exhaled sharply, feeling tears burning her eyes.

"Why did he crash, Lanie?" The M.E. was silent for a minute, before answering.

"I ran a tox-screen." She reached out and squeezed Kate's hand gently. "Kate, he was drunk." Kate's jaw fell open.

"No. He couldn't have been." Lanie nodded sadly.

"His blood alcohol level was a point oh nine. He was drunk, Kate."

"No. No, he couldn't have been drunk. He was sober for nine years."

"Kate, I'm so sorry." Lanie put a hand on Kate's shoulder, but she jerked away and stormed out of the morgue. Castle was waiting outside and had to jog to catch up to her.

"Kate!" She walked into the elevator and he ran in after her, his chest heaving from the exertion. Kate was staring straight ahead. "Kate, I'm sorry."

"Castle, if you apologize again, I'm going to break both your legs." They were silent for a while as the elevator rose. "He was drunk, Castle. He lost his sobriety and got himself killed." She wiped her eyes gingerly. "I just don't understand it. It's all so senseless."

"Death usually is," Castle whispered. The elevator pinged as they arrived at the 12th precinct. Kate strode out of the elevator, leaving Castle to jog to catch up. She sat heavily at her desk and started to massage the bridge of her nose. "I going to grab some coffee," Castle said. "D'you want some?" Kate nodded, grateful that he would be giving her some peace for at least a few minutes. She too a deep breath, pushing herself from mourning family member mode to detective mode.

"Esposito!" she called. Immediately, the man came rolling over on his chair. "What've you got?"

"Beckett, you –" Kate cut him off.

"What've you got?" She glared at him, daring him to contradict her again.

"Lanie puts time of death between 4 and 6 this morning. Ryan's out canvassing for witnesses or anyone who heard anything." A light went off in Kate's brain, which Esposito must have seen. "What's up, Beckett?" She quickly flipped through a manila folder on her desk before jabbing a photo of the intersection.

"Do you know what that building is?" Esposito stared at it for a second before shaking his head. "That, my friend, is the building that could help us crack this." Esposito cocked his head at her, an eyebrow raised. "Has Ryan checked for security cameras?" Without speaking, Esposito rolled back to his desk and picked up his phone. Kate kept flipping through the folder, searching for an answer. She paused on a photograph of the crumpled car. "Hey, Esposito!" He looked up at her. "My dad's car is down in evidence, right?" He nodded, and she got up, walking to the elevator. "Have Ryan call me if he finds anything. Come on, Castle," she said as she walked past the writer, who turned to jog after her. "Field trip.

X

"Kate, your coffee is getting cold," Castle said, but Kate ignored him completely. She had gloves on and was digging through the car, searching for something, any kind of clue. The car was clean, just the way her dad like it, except for an old sweater crumpled on the passenger side floor. Kate picked up the sweater and examined it, letting out a quiet "Huh."

"What's up? You find something?" Castle was next to her in a heartbeat.

"I don't recognize this sweater." Kate's phone rang. "Beckett."

"It's Ryan. You're not gonna believe what I found."


	3. Chapter 3

Within three minutes, Kate was jogging toward Ryan's desk, Castle trailing after her. "Kate!" he was shouting hoarsely, but she ignored him and stopped in front of Ryan.

"What've you got?" She wasn't winded in the slightest, even though the out-of-order elevator had forced her to take six flights of stairs. Castle, on the other hand, was hyperventilating by the time he arrived at the desk and his red face was bathed in sweat.

"Check this out." Ryan gestured for her to sit and he clicked on a video clip. "See, this is from across the street from the accident." The time stamp on the video was 4:33. "And if we fast forward a bit… we see this." Kate stared at the screen as a car came crawling towards the telephone pole from the left side of the screen. She visibly flinched as the car slowly crumpled against the telephone pole, her eyes closing tightly. Castle put a hand on hers, and squeezed gently.

"Whoa, hang on," Castle muttered. "Who in the hell is that?" Kate opened her eyes to see someone climb out of the car and stagger off-screen. She quickly rewound the tape and paused it as the man looked around.

"Ryan, see what you can do about getting me an id for this man. He might have the answers that we need." She didn't move for a few seconds, staring almost angrily at the man on the computer screen. "Who are you?" She looked up at Castle suddenly, a small smile on her face.

"What?" he said, looking confused.

"Hey, Esposito!" she called, not looking away from Castle. The detective jogged over. "Tell me what you see." She finally broke away from Castle's stare and leaned back in the chair, her fingers locked behind her head. Esposito and Castle stared at the screen for a few seconds, neither knowing what she meant. "Look at the way he's holding his arm." Castle and Esposito still clearly had no idea what she was talking about. "Oh, come on. Neither one of you ever broke your arm?" Both men shook their heads.

"Most I had as a kid was a broken ankle," Esposito said. "You break an arm, Beckett?"

"Damn straight, I did," Kate said proudly. "Fell of my motorcycle when I was seventeen. That, my friends –" she jabbed at the computer screen for emphasis, "– is a broken arm if ever I saw one."

"And a broken arm requires a hospital visit," Castle finished, and Kate nodded. "Field trip?"

"Field trip," Kate agreed. "Esposito, you and Ryan take Beth Israel. Castle and I'll take Downtown. We're looking for a man –" she paused to look at the screen, "– over-the-hill, with a broken arm and possible lacerations who came in sometime this morning." Esposito nodded and the four walked together to the stairs.

X 

"Excuse me, I was wondering if you knew anything about a man who came in this morning with a broken arm and possible other injuries." Castle gave his most charming smile to the nurse at the desk.

"And you are…?" The nurse stared at him pointedly, until Kate flashed her badge.

"NYPD." The nurse exhaled and flipped through the charts.

"Ah, yes, Matthew Simmons. He came in at about 5:30 this morning with a broken arm and a pretty nasty cut on his face."

"Was he intoxicated in the slightest?" The nurse shook her head.

"Sober as an AA member." Kate ran a hand through her hair.

"Thank you for your time." Kate sighed, and walked back to the elevators.

"Beckett, don't you need an address?" Kate shook her head as they walked in and the doors slid shut. "You know him?"

"Yeah. He and my dad used to go out for drinks. If memory serves, he lives about a five-minute drive from 6th and Downing." She looked at Castle. "Let's hope memory still serves."

X

Kate prodded the buzzer at Simmons' apartment building. A crackly voice hissed, "What?"

"Mr. Simmons?"

"Yeah, who's askin'?"

"It's Katie, Jim Beckett's daughter. I wanted to come up and say hi." Castle looked at her quizzically and she rolled her eyes at him. "If you ever call me Katie," she whispered, "it will be the last word you ever say." Castle smiled.

"Oh, Katie, come on up." The door clicked open, and Kate let herself in. The entrance was pretty small, but she and Castle were able to squeeze into the elevator.

"Uh oh," Castle said. "You need a key to go up anywhere."

"Patience, grasshopper." Kate closed her eyes, and the elevator suddenly lurched upwards.

"Whoa! Please tell me you're using your mind powers to do that." Kate laughed.

"He calls the elevator up to his apartment for us."

"Touché, Master Po." Kate smiled, and the elevator doors slid open to reveal a man in his mid-sixties with his arm in a sling and a freshly stitched face standing in front of them.

"Katie! My god, if it's possible, you've grown even more beautiful." The man reached out with one arm and Kate hugged him gently.

"Mr. Simmons, what happened to your arm?" Simmons' pulled back quickly, and shrugged.

"Oh, I fell down. It's nothing to severe, just me getting old." He laughed, but it was a forced sound and Kate glared at him for a second. "I heard about your father. That's too bad."

"How did you hear about him?" Kate raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure we didn't release his case or identity to the media." Simmons' face fell, and he stammered for a second. "So, how'd you find out?"

"Katie, I, uh, um, I –" He froze at the sight of the photograph Kate unfurled in front of him. It was the photo of him leaving her father's car and it was the one piece of evidence that tied him down.

"Tell me exactly what happened, or I will have you arrested for obstruction of justice," Kate snarled.

"Nothing happened, Katie. The car went out of control, and I tried to go get some help."

"Then how come I didn't receive the phone call until more than an hour after the accident. How come you didn't try to save my father's life? Why was my father drunk?" Kate was almost screaming by the end, and Castle put a hand on her shoulder in warning. She exhaled heavily and backed up a few steps. "Start talking, Simmons."

"Wow," Simmons sighed. "You really are your mother's daughter." He sat down at the dining room table and motioned for her to sit across from him. "Nothing happened, Katie. Your father and I were driving and he suddenly went out of control. I tried to go get help. End of story."

"Why, then," Kate asked through gritted teeth, "was my father's sobriety broken?" Simmons' was pointedly avoiding Kate's stare. "Answer me!" she shouted, slamming her hands on the table and causing Simmons to jump back.

"I didn't have anything to do with that! He just invited me out to go for a drive!"

"In New York City?" Kate scoffed. "I find that hard to believe. Why was my father drunk?" Simmons' was silent. "Alright then. You're coming with us." Kate hoisted Simmons to his feet and slapped the handcuffs around his wrists. "Matthew Simmons, you are under arrest for the murder of Jim Beckett."


	4. Chapter 4

Matthew Simmons was seated in the interrogation room, his elbows resting on the table and his chin in his hand. Roy Montgomery was staring at him through the mirror, and Kate was standing next to him, chewing on her bottom lip.

"You better be long and straight on this one, Beckett," he said quietly.

"Sir, I have him exiting the car, clearly injured, and neglecting to get assistance for my father. I can get some answers if you give me time." Montgomery nodded, and Kate readied herself, taking a deep breath, and pushed her way into the room.

"Mr. Simmons, you're aware of your rights?"

"My rights? Katie, what the hell is going on?"

"Mr. Simmons, you were photographed exiting the car that my dad was killed in. Tell me exactly what happened this morning and we can make this easier for you."

"Your father called me at about four this morning and said that he wanted to meet with me."

"Did he sound upset or angry?" Simmons grimaced.

"Yeah… yeah, he said something like, 'I screwed up, Mattie.'"

"Then you offered him a drink so you could talk about old times."

"No!"

"Mr. Simmons –"

"I didn't, Katie!" he shouted. "There is no liquor in my apartment!"

"Now why don't I believe you?" Kate drawled. Simmons reached into his pocket and set a small disc on the table.

"Five years last month. Jim was my sponsor." Kate's jaw fell open. "Yeah, Katie. I'm an alcoholic as well. Jim pulled me back after my wife left me."

"Where was he taking you?" Kate asked, staring forcefully at Simmons, who sighed.

"Church," Simmons said heavily. "He needed forgiveness and support, so I went with him. We were going to St. Patrick's for morning mass." Kate leaned back in her chair, eyes burning. She locked her fingers behind her head and sighed.

"Why didn't you call for help?"

"Katie, he died on impact. I checked for a pulse, but there was nothing I could do, and I knew that you'd think I did something if I was there. I'm sorry, Katie. Calling them wouldn't have done anything, and I needed to get to the hospital." He gestured to the arm in his sling. Kate heaved herself upright and walked quickly out of the room, ignoring Simmons' shouting for her attention and beelining for her chair. Castle was there in a second.

"Beckett… at least he didn't suffer?" It sounded almost like a question, and Kate stared at him for a second. "Sorry, I don't know what else to say."

"Thanks, Castle." Kate's voice was hoarser than she expected.

"So your dad was Catholic?" Castle probed. Kate shrugged.

"Kind of. He started going to mass when Mom died." Kate leaned back in the chair and stared up at the ceiling. "I just don't understand why my dad started drinking again, or where he was before going to Mr. Simmons' place." Castle didn't answer, instead staring straight ahead. "Castle? I know that look. What's up?"

"When I wanted to know where my daughter was, you remember what I did?" The idea dawned on Kate at last, and Castle smiled. "There we go."

"Ryan, have tech run GPS on my dad's phone," she shouted. "It's a stretch, Castle, but it might just be what we're looking for." Ryan nodded to her and immediately picked up his phone to call tech. "You, writer-monkey, are quite useful sometimes, you know that?" Castle smirked at her.

X

"Hey, Beckett!" Kate looked up from the box of Chinese take-out Castle had brought her at Ryan. She quickly gulped down the food in her mouth.

"You find something?"

"Yeah, your dad was over on 13th and University before going to meet your boy Simmons." Kate stared at Castle, confusion furrowing into her eyebrows.

"What's on 13th and University?" she asked and Castle shrugged.

"Google?" Kate typed in the address and, on a whim, added "bars." "Well?"

"Bar 13."

"I vote you for designated driver," Castle declared. Kate rolled her eyes and they walked toward the elevator for what felt like the fifteenth time that day.

X

It was nearly nine o'clock when Kate and Castle walked into Bar 13 to dimmed lights and jazz music.

"Well, well, well. What can I get for you?" the bartender sneered, but his face fell as Kate revealed her badge.

"NYPD. I'm Detective Beckett, and this is Richard Castle."

"Richard Castle, the novelist?" Castle nodded. "Well, I'll be damned." The bartender tucked himself under the bar for a second before revealing a well-worn copy of Heat Wave and a pen. "Would you –"

"Sorry, but I'm here on official police business," Castle interjected and Kate made a mental note to buy him an ice cream cone later.

"Were you working this morning?" The bartender nodded. "D'you recognize this man?" She unfolded a photograph of her father from the pocket of her leather jacket and showed it to the bartender.

"Yeah, he was here 'bout 3:30ish, give or take."

"Did he talk to anyone?"

"Yeah, he had an argument with one of my regulars. It got so bad, I had to throw Hank out."

"Hank?"

"Yeah, Hank Jackson. He's one of my regulars."

"What'd they talk about?" The bartender exhaled heavily.

"Your guy did something to Hank, something that pissed the bastard off and they got in a screaming match. I threw Hank out and your guy started downing Irish car bombs like they were water." Kate glanced to Castle. _Jesus, he still had a tolerance._

"You know where we can find Hank?" The bartender gestured with his thumb to the poolroom off to the right. "He's the one in the jean jacket." Hank was a tall angry looking man with graying hair and a graying goatee.

"Hank?" Kate walked over to the doorway into the room. Hank looked up and grimaced.

"Sweetheart, this ain't a place for a lady. Why don't you sit your pretty self down and enjoy a nice beer?" Kate rolled her eyes.

"Hank, you met a man here last night. What'd you two talk about?"

"Not your problem, honey."

"Well, it became my problem when that man ended up dead. What'd you two talk about?" She flashed her badge and stood up to her full height.

"You wanna arrest me, go for it. But you got nothin' and I ain't talkin'." Kate glared at Hank, who had returned to his game, until her phone rang.

"Beckett."

"It's Ryan. CSU just checked the car again. Real reason your dad crashed? The brake lines were cut. Someone wanted him to crash."


	5. Chapter 5

"_Real reason your dad crashed? The brake lines were cut. Someone wanted him to crash."_

Kate stood dumbfounded for a second. _Someone wanted my father dead? _"Ryan, I need you to look up Hank Jackson for me. Look for warrants, arrests, anything that I can use to bring him in." The line went silent and Kate started to pace, running her free hand through her hair. "Anything?"

"Hang on… yeah, he's wanted for assaulting his wife, Lydia, a few days ago," Ryan answered.

"See if you can find the wife and bring her in for questioning." Kate hung up and pocketed her phone before walking back to the poolroom.

"Hank Jackson?" Hank looked up.

"What now, sweetheart?"

"You are under arrest for assault. Turn around." Hank rolled his eyes.

"First you come in here askin' 'bout a murder, now it's assault? Honey, you'd better get your story straight."

"My buddy at the precinct told there's a warrant out for your arrest," Kate snarled, opening her coat a bit more to reveal the holstered gun on her hip. "Turn around or I'll add 'resisting arrest' to your rap sheet." Hank rolled his eyes, but obliged. Kate quickly slammed the cuffs onto his wrists and escorted him out to the bar where Castle was signing the bartender's Heat Wave. "Castle!" He snapped upright and jogged towards her. "Mr. Jackson, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand your rights?" Jackson nodded as Kate pushed him into the backseat of her car. "Good," she muttered as she closed the door.

"Kate, is this the guy?" Castle asked breathlessly and she nodded.

"Bartender saw him arguing with my dad to the point that he had to be thrown out and my dad started drinking heavily. Only problem is: what were they arguing about?"

X

Kate finally got back to her apartment at midnight, completely exhausted and wanting to curl up in bed. She dropped her coat on the couch and went to grab a beer; there was no possible way she could fall asleep this quickly, especially after such a hellacious day. She was still dumbfounded that her father was dead. The thought of the man who had protected her and loved her for her entire life was gone brought on a constant ache in her chest, so she abandoned her beer, instead opening her liquor cabinet and pulling out a bottle of scotch. It had become her go-to drink, especially on the days when she missed her mom. Now that her dad was gone… She couldn't even finish the thought before the tears were silently dripping down her cheeks. The full reality of what had happened come rushing back at her. She slid to the floor, leaning against her refrigerator and succumbed to the tears. After about half an hour, she finally took a deep breath and the tears stopped. Her body was aching and she was exhausted beyond belief, so she took a long pull from the scotch bottle, grimacing as it burned her throat. She staggered to her feet and walked down the hallway to her bedroom, collapsing on the sheets and falling asleep almost immediately.

Kate woke up at six the next morning with a burning headache and a deep seeded need to punch something. She gave up on her usual morning coffee, instead choosing to drive to the precinct gym for a morning workout. Going in and venting some of her excess energy helped her to relax a bit and focus more on her work. She was quite pleased to see the gym deserted when she arrive forty-five minutes later in sweats and a tank top. The interview with Jackson's wife wasn't until 8:30, so she would have plenty of time for a good sparring session, and a shower.

Unfortunately, a familiar face showed up at 7:30 with a to-go cup of coffee in either hand and a severe case of bed-head. "What, Castle?" she huffed, stepping back from the punching bag.

"I thought you might need a boost, especially with what happened yesterday," he offered. Kate rolled her eyes.

"Castle, I'm in the gym. I don't want to talk. I want to punch, and if you don't stop talking, you will become my next punching bag." Castle turned and started to walk away before Kate stopped him. "Castle?" He turned. "Leave the coffee." He laughed.

"I'll see you in a few hours."

X

Lydia Jackson was a beautiful woman despite the bruises and broken shoulder. She was probably mid-fifties, with shoulder length graying hair. She carried herself very cautiously, so when Kate sat across the table from her, she made sure to be the good cop, and to not use her usually rough interrogation techniques.

"Mrs. Jackson, I'm Detective Beckett. Thank you so much for taking the time to come talk with me." They shook hands gently. "I wanted to ask you a few questions about your husband."

"Hank? Why?"

"He assaulted you a few days ago. What happened?"

"I deserved it," Lydia nearly whispered. "I was… I cheated on him."

"And he found out?" Lydia nodded. "Who were you seeing?"

"His name was Jim. Jim Beckett, actually." Kate fought to keep her mouth closed.

"And how long were you seeing Jim?"

"Only a few weeks. Why are you asking all these questions about Jim?" Kate paused, unsure of how to answer.

"Mrs. Jackson, Jim Beckett was murdered yesterday. I'm trying to figure out why. Do you think that Hank could have done something?" To Kate's surprise, Lydia nodded.

X

"Mr. Jackson, do you know why you're here?" Kate asked as she and Castle sat across from the suspected murderer.

"Sure. You think I hit my wife and killed some old man I had an argument with."

"You might as well confess now," Castle sneered. "Your wife filed a police report, stating that you assaulted her severely three days ago." Hank glared at Castle without saying a word.

"We have you on the assault charge, and you sure as hell had motive to kill Jim Beckett," Kate growled.

"Yeah, I hit my wife, but you can't pin a murder on me. You've got no proof," Hank stated calmly.

"Your wife cheated on you," Castle said, and Hank twitched unconsciously. "She told Detective Beckett herself. You found out and you got angry. How dare she cheat on you? You're Hank Jackson. You got a name out of her, so you decided to find the bastard and make him pay."

"We have a record of the phone call between you and Jim," Kate added.

"You got him to meet you at the bar at 3:30 and you confronted him," Castle continued. "How dare he make a fool of you? When you got thrown out, you decided to take it out on Jim, to make him pay."

"We've got security camera footage of you popping the hood of the car he was found in and digging around in there for a while. When we found Jim's body, the brake lines had been snapped. So you tell me, Hank: was it worth it? Was it worth it to take another man's life?" Kate's voice had escalated, but she managed to bring herself back down. The next word out of Hank's mouth sent chills down Kate's spine.

"Absolutely."


	6. Chapter 6

Kate turned from the table and nearly ran out of the room in anger. Despite herself, she could feel her heart racing in anger and fear. She leaned against the wall, trying to calm herself done and shut her eyes as tightly as she could.

"Breath. Just breath." She felt a hand on her shoulder. "You caught him, Kate. You caught the son of a bitch, and he's going away for a long time." She opened her eyes to see Castle standing in front of her. "You got his confession on tape. There is no way he can wiggle his way out of this." Kate stared at him, trying to will away the burning in her eyes, and the aching in her heart. "You did it, Kate. Your dad would be so proud of you." That did it. Tears leaked slowly down Kate's cheeks, and Castle pulled her into a tight hug. "I know I'm proud of you." She burrowed into his shoulder and gripped a fistful of his jacket tightly.

"I miss him, Castle. I miss my dad," she stammered.

"I know you do, Kate." He paused. "I don't know what to say to make it feel better, because I know I can't."

"I feel so alone, Castle."

"Hey," he said, pulling her away from him and putting a hand on her cheek. "You are never alone. You have me, and Alexis, and Lanie, and the boys. You even have my mother." Kate smiled sadly. "I promise you, Katherine Beckett, that I will never leave you. I am always here, no matter how much you may hate me. You know you can call me anytime, right?" She nodded. "Come on." He put an arm around her shoulder, and led her out of the room. "Let the boys take care of Jackson. Let me take you back to my place. I don't want you to be alone tonight." Despite herself, Kate let him lead her out to the street and into a cab.

"Castle?" He looked at her, concern in his eyes. "Thank you."

"Always."

X

"So you remember where everything is?" Castle asked, leading Kate down the hallway of his loft and gesturing to the open doors. "Alexis' room, my room, your room, bathroom, my mother's 'studio.'" He made some absurd velociraptor quotes around the word "studio." "Wow, not even a smile. You sure you're okay?" Kate shrugged.

"I just want to crash and sleep until Thursday," she said quietly. Castle nodded and coaxed her into a gentle hug.

"Okay then. You want to borrow my pajamas?" Kate raised an eyebrow at him. "Come on, they're silk!"

"Thanks, Castle." He nodded, and left her alone in the room, giving her time to refamiliarize herself with it. Nice big bed in the center, dresser, desk. The same pictures were perched on the desk as the last time she had stayed with him, including her favorite, a candid shot of the two of them at the Old Haunt. Castle was gesturing and Kate had thrown her head back in mid-laugh.

"You okay?" Kate jumped and turned to face the writer, who had a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt for her.

"Yeah. Just admiring the pictures." Castle walked over to her.

"That one's my favorite," he said, pointing to the picture of them in the Old Haunt.

"Yeah, mine too." They stood in silence for a few seconds before Castle handed her the pajamas. "Thanks," she whispered.

"My pleasure. If you need anything, anything at all, I'm right next door." He paused, before whispering, "Until tomorrow, Detective Beckett," causing Kate to smile sadly yet again.

"Night, Castle." As soon as he closed the door, she slipped into the pajamas, relishing the feel on her sore legs. She slipped into the bed almost cautiously, resting herself into the silky soft sheets and inhaling the clean scent. The bed felt enormous and like she was resting her tired body on a cloud instead of a mattress.

Unfortunately, despite her best efforts, she was still awake at three am. Frustrated and upset, she quietly rolled out of the bed and crept out of the room and down the hallway. Castle was snoring like a chainsaw in his bedroom, which Kate was secretly thankful for. She tried her best to be as silent as possible, tiptoeing past Martha and Alexis' rooms and making her way down the stairs into the deserted kitchen to pour herself a glass of water.

Castle's loft was up high enough that Kate could see a large portion of the city through the enormous windows. The city was bright, even at that time of night; billboards were flashing and cars were honking. It really was the city that never sleeps, and Kate was apparently the girl that never sleeps. She didn't really want to sleep; if she fell asleep, then this wasn't a dream and her dad was really gone. If anything, she wanted to wake up from this horrible dream and be back in her bed. She just wanted her dad to–.

"Detective Beckett?" Kate jumped and whipped around to see Alexis standing at the base of the stairs. "You okay?" she asked. "You're crying." _So I am. _Kate wiped her eyes gingerly and exhaled.

"I'm in your house. You can call me Kate, if you want to."

"Okay, Kate. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Kate said as solidly as she could.

"I doubt that," the redhead contradicted. "You can tell me. I may be young, but I know how to hug well." Kate sat heavily on the couch and Alexis perched herself next to her.

"I just can't sleep." Despite the tough exterior she tried so hard to show whenever she was around Alexis, her eyes started to burn again. "My dad's funeral is today." Without saying a single word, Alexis scooted over and pulled Kate into a tight hug, burrowing her head into the detective's shoulder. Kate wrapped her long arms around the teenaged girl, gripping her shoulders tightly, and gasping for air, trying to bury the tears that were threatening to make an unwanted appearance. They sat together in silence for a while, before Alexis yawned and pulled away.

"I know you can't sleep, so feel free to hang out down here for a while. I'll see you in the morning." Alexis squeezed Kate's hand gently before sneaking back upstairs, leaving the loft silent, aside from Castle's snoring. Kate remained on the couch, her stare drifting out the window. She yawned again and wiped the tears from her eyes. She was glad not to be alone.


	7. Chapter 7

Kate woke the next morning to the sound of clattering bowls. She rubbed her eyes roughly, trying to clear them of the remnants of sleep. To her surprise, a blanket had been tucked around her, keeping her pleasantly warm. She sat up with a groan, her neck stiff from the night spent curled up on the couch, and swung her feet down to the floor. Castle was clearly banging around in the kitchen, making something, so she followed the noise until she saw him, stirring a bowl by the stove.

"Castle?" she mumbled hoarsely, causing him to turn towards her.

"Ah, good morning, Kate. Coffee's on the counter for you." Kate grabbed the NYPD mug and brought it to her lips, inhaling the soft bitter smell. "How was the couch?" She shrugged, sipping the coffee. "Good to know it was a good investment," Castle declared, and she smiled a bit.

"Castle? You're making pancakes."

"That I am," he declared, dolloping batter onto the skillet. Kate stared at him for a minute before a smile dawned on his face, and they both burst into loud laughter; the last time he had made pancakes for Kate, Ryan and Esposito had accused the dynamic duo of having "relations" the night before. Kate bent double, hands on her thighs and stomach aching. Castle slapped the counter a few times, abandoning the pancakes completely.

Kate's laughter eventually faded to a weak smile, and Castle stared at her gently. "I haven't heard you laugh like that for a long time," he whispered. She sat against the counter, and set the mug down.

"I haven't exactly felt like it," she exhaled, and Castle put a hand on hers. "Castle, I miss my dad."

"I know, Kate." He paused. "What do you need?" Kate looked up at him, tearing up a bit.

"I need to go home and get ready for… for…" She shrugged and Castle nodded.

"Alright. Let me grab my suit, and we'll go." Kate stared at him for a second. "What? I'm not letting you bury your father alone." With that, he turned and jogged upstairs to grab his suit.

X

Kate surveyed herself in her bathroom mirror; she was wearing a black dress that her father had picked out for her to wear a few years ago. She was debating whether she should pull her hair back or let it hang loose around her shoulders, and ultimately decided to pull it back into a simple ponytail.

"Wow," Castle sighed as Kate walked into the living room. "You look… amazing." Castle was wearing a traditional suit, black dress shirt and a black tie, and had managed to calm his hair down to a reasonable level.

"Thanks, Castle," she murmured. "You clean up good, too." He chuckled and offered her his arm.

"You ready?" he asked cautiously, and she nodded, taking his arm. "You can do this." She looked at him nervously as they walked toward the stairs.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Why do you think I've stuck around for so long? It's not because I love Esposito." Kate smiled. "I have known you for a long time, Kate. I know how tough you are, how strong you are and how brilliant you are. _You_ solved your father's murder. I will stand with you forever."

Kate spent the entire drive to the cemetery lost in thought, running over what she was going to do after she buried her father. Would she just say "Goodbye," or would it turn into a speech? Jim Beckett would rest in eternity next to Kate's mother, something that Castle had arranged via a generous donation, and that Kate was very grateful for.

Unfortunately, the drive felt entirely too short, and Kate found Castle opening her door for her. She stepped out into nearly blinding sunlight and took the outstretched hand Castle was offering her. To her surprise, her mother's tombstone was surrounded; from the look of the crowd, the entire Homicide division was there, along with Martha and Alexis. Karpowski was chatting with Captain Montgomery about something, and Ryan and Esposito were standing with their respective girlfriends. Castle squeezed Kate's hand gently, and coaxed her toward the crowd, who had finally noticed them. She half-listened to her fellow detectives murmur "I'm sorry for your loss," occasionally responding with "Thank you for coming." Castle never once let go of her hand, leading her forward towards the coffin and his mother and daughter, who both rose to greet them. Martha gently wrapped Kate in the most motherly hug she could muster, and whispered, "Hang in there, kiddo." Kate buried her face in the older woman's shoulder for a second, biting back the tears, before straightening up and clearing her throat.

"Thank you, Martha," she said hoarsely. Alexis was next, pressing herself against the detective and squeezing tightly.

"I'm sorry, Kate. Really, I am." Kate hugged the teenager against her.

"Thanks, Alexis." Alexis pulled away and smiled at Kate before following Martha to the coffin. The priest noticed her and stepped down from behind the podium. He was aging, probably a bit older than Kate's dad, but he smiled with the gentleness of a father and Kate immediately liked him.

"You must be Detective Beckett." Kate shook his outstretched hand and nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Father Angelo. I had the pleasure of meeting your father several times after mass. I'll miss him a lot. Congratulations on catching the man that did this."

"Thank you, Father. I miss him too." Kate stood between Castle and Lanie, staring at the coffin holding her father; both of her best friends squeezed her hands gently and the priest began to speak. Kate didn't hear a word he said, instead drifting back into her own thoughts.

X

_ "Hang on, Katie! Now pedal!" A five-year-old Kate sat on a wobbly bike, pedaling as fast as she could down the street. Jim was jogging behind her, making sure she didn't fall, but she was quickly outpacing him. "Yeah! Atta girl!" he shouted, and Kate let out a loud laugh. _

_ "Daddy, look at me!" she shouted, glancing over her shoulder at her dad; unfortunately, her handlebars twisted as well, and she hit the ground hard, scraping her knee and her hand. _

_ "Katie!" Jim sprinted to her side and plucked her off the bike. After setting her upright, he inspected the wounds on his little girl. "You okay, angel?" She nodded, her bright green eyes staring up at her dad._

_ "Yeah," she said quietly. He quickly picked her and her bike up, and carried them back to the house. _

_ "Come on, let's go bandage you up." He dropped the bike by the door and carried his daughter inside. _

_ "Katie!" Johanna shouted as Jim walked into the kitchen. Kate's small knee was bleeding pretty badly, and Johanna ran to press a paper towel against it. "Jim, what'd I tell you? She's too young to ride a bike without training wheels."_

_ "It's okay, Jo. They're just scrapes," Jim said calmly. "Every kid gets 'em."_

_ "Jim, she's too little." Johanna stood in front of Kate, who still had yet to shed any tears. "You okay, sweetheart?" Kate nodded._

_ "Yeah. It hurts, but it's okay." Johanna kissed the little girl's forehead. _

_ "You're so strong," she murmured. Jim pressed a bandage onto Kate's knee gently, and wrapped one around her hand. _

_ "There we go, angel. Good as new, right?" Kate nodded with a smile._

_ "Can I go try again, Daddy?" she asked, and Jim laughed. _

_ "Not right now, angel. You have to heal a bit. Maybe tomorrow. How about some ice cream?"_

X

_ "Katie, what happened?" Jim shouted as he jogged into the emergency room. _

_ "It's nothing, Dad. I'm okay."_

_ "Nothing? You fell off that ridiculous motorcycle of yours!"_

_ "I'm fine, Dad. I broke my arm, that's all." Jim sat heavily in the chair next to her. _

_ "Katie," he sighed, and Kate laughed. "What color cast are you getting?"_

_ "I don't know. Dad. How about blue?" Jim smiled. _

_ "No, how about pink?" They both laughed. Kate hated pink, and Jim knew it. She had had an aversion to pink from the time she could talk. "Red?" Kate smiled. Red was her favorite color. It was a fiery and passionate color, and Jim knew it fit his daughter perfectly. "God, you had me worried, Katie." He stared at her, forehead wrinkling. _

_ "I'm sorry, Dad. I was just having some fun." Kate shrugged. "I'll be good as new soon." The doctor came in, and set her arm, eliciting a shriek of pain from Kate. Within ten minutes, Kate and Jim were walking out of the E.R., Kate's left arm wrapped in a bright red cast. _

_ "Now what, Katie? You gonna go skydiving?" Kate shook her head. _

_ "I thought… maybe we could go out for ice cream?" Jim laughed loudly as they walked out of the hospital and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. _

_ "Sure, angel. Ice cream sounds perfect." _

X

To Kate's surprise, Castle walked up in front of the coffin and turned to face the crowd.

"I had the pleasure of meeting Jim Beckett only once. He stopped by my apartment to meet his daughter's quote 'shadow.'" The crowd laughed, knowing that Kate and Castle's relationship had bypassed "shadow and muse" to "partners." "It was clear to me just how devoted to his daughter he was, especially after Johanna died. He worried incessantly about Kate, and he wanted to make sure that I kept her safe, even though she's the one who's had to save me on occasion." The crowd laughed again. "He said something to me that I will never forget. He said, 'She cares about you, Rick. And unless you're dumber than you look –'" Kate chuckled, "'I know you care about her.' Jim Beckett raised an incredible woman, one whose pigtails I have had the pleasure of pulling on occasion. Kate is one of the most brilliant people I have ever met; she solved her father's murder in less than thirty-six hours. Kate has saved me from dogs, crazed murderers and my mother, and I will be forever grateful for her. I wish that Jim hadn't died so soon, but I am relieved that he will remain by his wife's side forever. Thank you, Jim Beckett. Thank you for everything you gave to the world, and thank you for your brilliant and amazing daughter. Rest in peace." Tears were rolling down Kate's cheeks, but she stood and wrapped her arms around Castle's waist, burying her face into his jacket.

"Thank you, Castle," she croaked, hugging him tightly. He squeezed her shoulders, kissed her temple and whispered the word that made her heart skip a beat every time she heard it:

"Always."


End file.
